ESPN NFL Football Review

Is this football game worthy of the biggest name in sports?

Let's get all of the most important stuff out of the way right off the bat. ESPN NFL Football, the latest installment in the series formerly known as NFL 2K, is even better than last year's game--and that's a feat. A whole lot has been added to the overall experience--from full ESPN integration, to tightened AI, better graphics, and even more solid online play. The game's entire look is inundated with ESPN branding, which is a good thing. If you squint, you might just think you're watching the Worldwide Leader in Sports.

What's more, it seems that someone at ESPN Videogames (nee SEGA Sports) woke up and realized that nowadays, it just isn't enough to line up across from the fierce competition that is Madden and deliver a sim-style experience without any of the extra fixin's that make EA's game so special. ESPN NFL Football has plenty of new wrinkles, including the much-hyped First Person Mode, and the Crib, an excellent addition which allows players to unlock goods and add them to a fantasy pad... the ultimate in vanity. The Crib is precisely what the series has been missing from the get-go, and makes the experience beyond the actual football a lot of fun.

It remains to be seen whether this game can compete in a marketplace dominated by Madden while launching nearly a month after it, but ESPN Videogames has put a lot of effort into making this an essential game for any football fan's library.

Features Last year, this series introduced ESPN elements into the game. But the license came too late to the party to really be of much use. This year, ESPN has been added to every single nook and cranny of the game. From the overall menu system to Chris Berman doing pre- and post-game segments to the ESPN music to the GameCast stat tracking, this game is truly ESPN NFL Football. Fans of the network will feel right at home here.

Head-to-Head Available! Don't know which version of ESPN NFL Football to buy? We're going to tell you in this point-by-point breakdown, which details the differences between the PS2 and Xbox with screenshots and tons of info.